With the draw for the FIFA 2026 World Cup ( CAF) drawn and Liberia placed in Group H with Tunisia Carthage Eagles, National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea, Brave Warriors of Namibia, Flames of Malawi and the Falcons of São Tomé and Principe, the Lone Star find themselves in a very tough group by their standards.
Since making their debut in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers on December 7,1980 in a 0-0 draw against Guinea Sylli in a 1982 World Cup Qualifier at the ATS, the nation’s pride and joy have come closer to qualification to the World Cup
finals in the 1990 and 2002 editions with the latter the closest which was during the heydays of the famous “Weah XI”
For Thursday’s draw, Tunisia are the favorites to top the group with none of the other five teams looking likely to be among the best four runners up for a place in the CAF play-off. How has the Lone Star performed against the group opponents in the past except São Tomé and Principe who they have never played is sailed through below.
Tunisia
On December 21, 1988, both teams first faced off in a friendly at the SKD. It ended in an entertaining 1-1 draw. The Tunisians were in the lead until winger Thomas Kojo came from the bench to ignite the game and created a penalty to be executed by hardworking midfielder Friday Roberts. On the overall, it has been ten meetings between the two sides with Liberia winning three, Tunisia five and two draws. This is the second time they are both paired in the same group in a World Cup qualifier as the North African opponents won back to back, 1-0 and 2-0 in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers when Liberia was playing at home away from home in Ghana in the qualifiers then. Jonathan Sogbie and Francis Doe were goal getters for Liberia in ther two 1-0 wins over Tunisia.
Equatorial Guinea
On September 3,2006, the National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea defeated the Lone Star of Liberia 2-1 with their Liberian born defender Lawrence Sokota Doe in the heart of their defense in a 2008 Afcon qualifier Zah Krangar got the Lone goal for Liberia. They then visited Liberia for the second leg and held the Lone Star in the rain at the ATS 0-0 and their last match was a friendly in Malabo which they won 1-0. Thus, it’s two wins for the Centeal African outfit and a draw, with Liberia yet to win over them.
Malawi
The Flames of Malawi first visited Liberia to honor a 1990 World Cup Qualifier with Liberia’s president and Chief Patron of Sports Samuel Kanyon Doe launching “Operation Crush Malawi”, headed by then Director General of the Liberia Broad Casting System ( LBS) Professor Albanians G. V. Kromah. The Malawians came with a huge credential as East and Central African champions with goalkeeper George Waya, young Chimozie, Bakari Machonga, Lawrence Waya, Peterking Kayira, all forming a strong line up. They were however crushed 1-0, courtesy of a goal by George Weah after James Debbah provided the assist on June 11, 1989 at a jam packed SKD. Since then, they have met two other times with Malawi and Liberia drawing in an academic fixture 0-0 in the second leg in Blyantre and Liberia winning 1-0 in a friendly at SKD.
The Malawians are yet to secure a win or even score a goal against the West African side as it is two wins for Liberia and a draw against Malawi.
Namibia
The Brave Warriors of Namibia first competed against Liberia in a 1998 Afcon qualifier in Windhoek with Liberia parading a completely local based side returning home unscathed as they drew 0-0 on June 11, 1987. But, in the second leg at the SKD, the Lone Star with several oversea based players lost 2-1 to the visiting Southern African side and two other meetings saw the Lone Star winning 1-0 at the ATS, thanks to Dioh Williams’ goal and drew 0-0 away to qualify for the Group stage of the 2013 Afcon qualifiers.
It’s another qualifier, another time of huge expectation, heartbeat, excitement, emotion and so forth. November the hostilities begin for a place in the USA, Canada and Mexico FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Liberia Bracing for Another Qualifier
